Can a L2501 Lift a 1200lb large bale 6 inches off of the ground.

[cand229]

We just purchased a L2501 with loader and BH. We absolutely love it. This is our first winter with the machine and we are preparing our winter hay purchase request. We need to make a decision between large and small bales. I thought our Large bales from last year were 600lbs. (I didn't know any better.) But I'm now informed that they can be as many as 1200Lbs.

I looked at the spec sheet and it says 1190 is the max lift. But I'm confused. Is that including the weight of the forks? and is that number at 6 inches off of the ground or at max height? ie Can I get away with saving some money to get the larger bales and move the hay around with the tractor or do I need to schelp around the small bales? Thanks in advance.

 

[BigG]

The weight lifting on the spec sheet for the loader at the pivot points is 1139 pounds. I do not think this is enough capacity to feed with. I would go with the smaller bale.

 

[cand229]

The weight lifting on the spec sheet for the loader at the pivot points is 1139 pounds. I do not think this is enough capacity to feed with. I would go with the smaller bale.

Thank You!

 

[Jchonline]

The weight lifting on the spec sheet for the loader at the pivot points is 1139 pounds. I do not think this is enough capacity to feed with. I would go with the smaller bale.

Agree. You can probably get it off the ground, but putting it in the feeder….probably not. 600 lb

We just purchased a L2501 with loader and BH. We absolutely love it. This is our first winter with the machine and we are preparing our winter hay purchase request. We need to make a decision between large and small bales. I thought our Large bales from last year were 600lbs. (I didn't know any better.) But I'm now informed that they can be as many as 1200Lbs.

I looked at the spec sheet and it says 1190 is the max lift. But I'm confused. Is that including the weight of the forks? and is that number at 6 inches off of the ground or at max height? ie Can I get away with saving some money to get the larger bales and move the hay around with the tractor or do I need to schelp around the small bales? Thanks in advance.

Small bales. Even if you could lift them, it is going to be very unstable. There is a reason most farmers have a full size utility tractor….and it is mostly for moving bales. M7060 is pretty solid for a 1500lb bale..but even then…the weight of the bale sticks out pretty far off the front, making it even harder to move and balance. We usually leave the rotary cutter on the back or a 3PT bale spear with bale and it is well balanced.

The backhoe will help a bunch.

 

[old and tired]

Have you thought about using the 3 point hitch to move bales?

 

[Jchonline]

Have you thought about using the 3 point hitch to move bales?

That works well as long as you don’t have to lift them down or up that far yes. We grab the top one with the FEL and the bottom one with the 3PT spear.

 

[BigG]

The lift capacity on the L2501 at 24 inches behind the lift points is 1389 pounds. So there is not a good option for large bales.

There are several different styles of these that you could still use the large bails.

 

[i7win7]

 

[Nicfin36]

There are videos on YouTube of the L2501 and L3901 moving round hale bales. One fellow was using his L3901 to move and stack a round bale on top of another. Can your L2501 do it? I can't answer that. Of course, if it can, there will be a smaller margin of safety compared to a larger machine. But, you gotta be careful no matter what machine you are using.

 

[Tornado]

I have an L2501, and I move 5' round bales, but I use a 3pt spear, and that of course moves them without any issue at all. I would bet the L2501 would move the bale for you with the loader. I gather this because I have lifted some really big, heavy logs many many times and moved them to my firewood pile after cutting down trees. Some of these logs easily are as heavy as my 5 foot roundbales. The L2501 can actually lift 2,000lb off the ground, and Im pretty sure Ive lifted near that much in some of these log loads. The reason I dont use a loader spear is simply because the 3pt option was in stock at tractor supply right here, and was also cheaper. I just need to move bales from one place to another very rarely so I just needed a cheap way to do it easily.

Also, if an L3301 or L3901 can lift it and do it, then the L2501 will do the same. While these 3 tractors have different engine Horsepower, they have the exact same Hydraulic pumps. The power curve on all 3 tractors in lifting capacity is nearly identical. They also, of course, use the exact same loaders.

 

[greg86z28]

My guess is it probably can do it. The loader lift specs for getting something a few inches off the ground can be pretty surprising.

However, you'd really be taxing/overdoing it on your machine. If it were me, from a safety and not abusing my equipment standpoint, I would go with the smaller bails or come up with an alternative strategy (3 point, etc).

 

[greg86z28]

I found my old post!

These LA525 loader curves are for L3301/3901. I think the L2501 has a slightly reduced spec. Either way, if you look, 6 inches is about 150 mm. That shows roughly 1433-1653 lbs (650-750 kg) of capacity 20" out from the pivot point. You'd need to subtract off the weight of your forks though. If you have some beefy skid steer set, they can be heavy.

https://www.orangetractortalks.com/...let-of-dried-chicken-manure.51496/post-465159

 

[BigG]

The tractor may pick up the bales. But do you want to drive in the mud and snow or hillsides of Idaho carrying that amount of weight? The "can do" is not the same as "should do".

A 1200 pound round bale speared off center can put a great deal of twist to the FEL. Plus the weight of the rain and or snow is unknown. Toting a heavy load in the mud snow and ice will add additional stress to the tractor. Are there steep hills to cross when feeding?

The cost difference in the different sizes of the hay bale should also be considered. Need to know the cost of the different sized bales and the number of bales that will be feed is also important.

 

[Luckyman84]

I have a 2501 DT. In the manual for the LA525, it states that lift capacity at 500 mm, or roughly 60 inches is 1130 lbs 500 mm out from the pivot point. So as stated earlier, it CAN do it, but I’m betting it probably shouldn’t. Either way, good luck and be safe.

 

[Fordtech86]

it states that lift capacity at 500 mm, or roughly 60 inches is 1130 lbs 500 mm out from the pivot point.

minor details but 500 mm is almost 20 inches not 60 inches.

 

[D2Cat]

As said many times get a 3pt bale spike and you'll have no problem.

 

[Luckyman84]

I meant 1500 mm, or a carrying height of 59 inches

 

[Luckyman84]

At 1500 mm high, and 500 mm out from pivot, the capacity is 1135

 

[Tornado]

At 1500 mm high, and 500 mm out from pivot, the capacity is 1135

Right. I would go with the loader spike without hesitation personally. I would actually be surprised if the tractor had any trouble at all with these bales. When you spear a bale, and tilt it back, most of that weight will be right near the lifting pin locations. Every inch you move closer to the lifting pin the capacity goes up. Every inch you drop the height of the loader the lifting capacity also goes up. If you didn't need to get the bales but 2-3 feet high, you would certainly have no problem. If you had to lift bales up super high that is the only time I might would pause. Lifting a bale up just for a short moment to stack it however would be fine. As I said in a previous post, lifting something up just 6 inches off the ground, the L2501 will lift around 2,000lbs. That drops from ~2,000 to 1135 at 5 foot high. Every foot you can drop something for transport you gain a lot of lifting capacity.

Ive seen too oftnen now what the 2501 will lift with all the big logs ive moved in my land clearing endevours on my property. Ive moved some logs that are easily heavier than a bale of hay.

EDIT: I would just also add that the OP originally asked if the 2501 could lift a 1200lb bale of hay 6 inches off the ground. The 2501 would lift a bale of that weight 6 inches without even breaking a sweat. Its easily within the spec of the loader, by several hundred pounds. This is another example of where I feel we dont always give good advice on these forums. As I said above I do use a 3pt bale spike for my 2501 and my hay bales, but only because it was in stock in my town, and was cheap and easy to run by and grab it. Moving bales with the loader is much more convenient, and I dont know why we are telling the OP to not do it, and instead suggesting other measures. 1200lbs 6 inches off the ground ? 100% the tractor WILL do it and will not even struggle to do it. Curl the bales back a little to shift the weight toward the tractor, and use 4 wheel drive. You will have no issue at all. Do not be scared by the ~1100 weight limitation. That limitation is for 20 inches out from the lifting pin, and at a height of 5 feet. That number shoots up rapidly with every inch closer to the ground you get.

 

[Ikc1990]

You guys would be screaming at me then I move our 6x5 round bales of dry hay with my b2710 and lift them into feeder couple times a week. I've done it without a counter weight but I dont like to and neither dose the bota, but she dose cause shes a good little helper